Making bacon in the microwave is super quick and easy and perfect for busy mornings! Plus, it’s less messy than stovetop, no dangerous splatters, and it’s easy to control the doneness of the bacon to your liking.
Bacon is one of those foods I *always* have in my refrigerator.
I cook with it, sure, and I use it for toppings.
But mostly it’s part of our regular breakfasts. My son is a little bacon fiend, and so I’ve always got some available for him.
Sometimes just as a side, like with cheesy baked eggs or our healthy waffles or pancakes.
Other times I’m cooking some to go into a breakfast grilled cheese or add to a folded wrap.
And ever since I was a kid, I’ve been making bacon in the microwave.
Microwave bacon is so quick and easy. You can do just a couple of slices or up to about 10 at a time.
The pieces come out perfectly and evenly cooked and they stay nice and flat and straight.
You can control the exact doneness you want, pulling out your bacon earlier or cooking it longer to get it to the cooked level and crispiness you desire.
There’s no oil splattering and burning, no big pans to scrape and clean, no shriveled sad bacon, and no pieces that are half raw and half burnt.
It’s pretty much perfection.
And I might not have ever thought to post about it, but I get so many questions from friends and readers on how to cook bacon (mostly from seeing my Instagram stories and weekend breakfast pics.)
So today I’m going to share with you all the tips and tricks and ins and outs I’ve perfected over decades of cooking bacon in the microwave. (Including times when you shouldn’t cook it this way!)
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Tips and Tricks:
- The rule of thumb is 1 minute per slice (on full power).
- However, thick cut or center cut bacon is going to take longer than a regular slice that’s much thinner. You’ll need to adjust accordingly.
- Also, cooking just 2-3 pieces will take about 2-3 minutes, per the formula. But cooking 10 pieces will likely only take 8 or so minutes. (The microwave gets hot and the cooking seems to go faster.)
- Check early and then regularly. Pull out pieces as they are done to your liking and continue cooking the rest. You can always add more time.
- Bacon pieces on the outside edges and on the bottom will cook more quickly than those in the middle.
This beautiful bacon here is photographed with my homemade biscuits that are so fluffy and delicious - and perfect for making a bacon biscuit with!
Also, I should mention that you can also cook bacon in the Air Fryer. It’s easy and quick, too, just beware the smoke that billows out.
As for set-up, I do use paper towels and a microwave safe plate. I put a double layer of paper towels down, add the bacon strips, top with a single layer paper towel to cover the bacon and put the whole thing on the plate to put into the microwave.
The paper towels help absorb the grease and prevent a total mess in your microwave. And the plate keeps them lifted off the glass tray so it doesn't get so greasy.
You can skip the plate, you’ll just need to wipe down the microwave tray well because the grease will be all over it.
And as mentioned, you can control how done you want the bacon. Or if you have family members with different tastes - someone likes it half raw and someone else prefers it super done and extra crispy, you can make both!
Everyone gets just what they want!
Now, there are 2 instances in which I do not recommend you use the microwave to cook your bacon.
When not to use the microwave to cook bacon:
- If you are trying to do a full pound or more of bacon, you won’t be able to fit it all in the microwave at one time. It’s better to use the oven to cook that quantity of bacon.
- If you need the bacon grease for a recipe, you should cook it in the pan or skillet, so you retain the grease.
Otherwise, this microwave bacon is going to be your new best friend!
Last thing, let’s talk about what to do with any leftovers.
Cooked bacon, once cooled, can be stored in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days.
You can reheat cooked bacon, cold from the fridge, on a paper towel in the microwave. It'll take about 15 seconds for 1-3 pieces and closer to 25 seconds for a larger batch to get the bacon hot.
There you have it.
Bacon on demand. Bacon all the time. Bacon every day. Bacon perfection.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Microwave Bacon
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices bacon (adjustable, see notes)
Instructions
- Put a double layer of paper towels on a flat surface. Arrange the bacon slices in an even layer. Top with a single layer of paper towels and place on a large microwave-safe plate. (You can skip the plate but will need to wipe down the microwave from the grease.)
- Put in the microwave and cook on full power for 6-8 minutes. Start checking around 6 minutes for doneness and carefully remove any pieces that are cooked to your liking. Continue cooking remaining pieces in 30-45 second intervals until done. (See the notes below for tips and tricks and adjusting for different amounts.)
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